Paper 2 Section B Overview (AQA GCSE English Language): Revision Note
Exam code: 8700
Writing section summary
Section B overview | |
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In Section B: Writing of Paper 2 (Question 5) you will be asked to write in a specific genre, such as an article or letter. The question will specify a specific audience (e.g. a politician) and purpose (e.g. to persuade).
How long should I spend writing for Question 5?
You should aim to spend about 45 minutes on Section B, and aim to write three to four sides of A4. However, don’t spend all of that time writing. For the best marks, it’s crucial to plan your answer and, after it’s written, to check it for mistakes:
For an expert guide on checking over your work, check out our exam skills page on How to Check and Proofread Your Writing at GCSE.
What am I tested on in Section B: Writing?
For Question 5, you are tested on your ability to create an effective piece of transactional writing. Transactional writing is writing that presents a particular point of view. You are also assessed on your use and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG).
Understanding the assessment objectives (AOs) of Section B in more detail will help you:
Know what skills you are expected to show in the exam
Help you identify areas to improve on
Section B | ||
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AO5 | Content and organisation (24 marks) |
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AO6 | Technical accuracy (16 marks) |
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Expert tips for the writing question
Plan out your argument before you start writing
Before you create a plan, highlight on your question paper:
The genre
The audience
The purpose
Your ideas need to be convincing and well developed, which means it is essential to plan what you are going to include before you start writing:
You should spend about 10 minutes on planning
Planning checklist | ||
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Point of view | What is your argument? (Try to sum this up in one sentence) | ✅ |
Genre | What do you need to include to meet the expectations of a letter, article, etc.? (e.g. including “Dear X” and “Yours faithfully”) | ✅ |
Structure | The beginning, middle and end planned | ✅ |
Counter-argument | Are you going to include a counter-argument? How might you answer these concerns? | ✅ |
Level-up your writing
Examiners are looking for the use of ambitious vocabulary:
Just make sure you know how to spell more complex words
Include a range of punctuation:
Jot down some punctuation marks you want to use when planning
Vary your sentence types and forms:
Use a variety of short and longer sentences
Use complex and compound sentences, but also simple sentences for effect
Your paragraphs should be fluently linked, so think about how each links to the last
Use a range of language devices
There are lots of linguistic devices you can employ in this type of writing, depending on the purpose of the task, but a useful acronym to remember in the exam is DAN FOREST PIE:
D | Direct address | Writing directly to your audience is a great way of showing the examiner that you have a thorough understanding of who you are writing for and how to address them. This is especially the case if you are writing to convince your audience of something |
A | Audience | Including your audience is also a persuasive technique, such as “we all know that…” |
N | Not only, but also | Good for adding to your arguments. For example, “Not only would this benefit the local economy, but also it has wider implications on a national level.” |
F | Facts | Facts in an exam situation can be made up, but use them sparingly! Then they will have more impact |
O | Opinions | If you are trying to persuade or convince an audience that your point of view is valid, then presenting your opinions as facts is one way of putting forward a strong argument |
R | Questions that do not require an answer are useful for engaging an audience, especially at the start of your piece of writing | |
E | Emotive language | Think carefully about your choice of language and the connotations certain words have. “Crowd” and “mob”, for example, have very different connotations, with “mob” being much more emotive (and negative). Choose your language depending on the effect you want to have on your reader |
S | Statistics | Statistics, especially ones that are made up in an exam situation, should be used sparingly as part of the development of an argument. Do not over-rely on them |
T | Triplets (rule of three) | Political speeches often use this technique to group together three related ideas for impact. This is not the same as just listing three things |
P | Personal pronouns | Depending on the audience and purpose, make good use of “I”, “we” and “you”, which can give weight to your arguments |
I | Imperatives | Commanding your audience should not be aggressive, but can be seen as a call to action. For example, “Act now to save the planet!” |
E | Exaggeration | Well-considered exaggeration can be used for persuasive effect, especially if the topic is one you feel strongly about |
For more details on how to include these (and other) language devices into your writing, see our revision note on Persuasive Language Techniques.
Learn more
For a more detailed breakdown of the question, guides on how to write in different genres, and model answers, check out the following revision notes:
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